[She sighs a little.] He wanted to save someone he knew back home, and that was what they said you could get from killing someone that week. But he could have confessed after he got his wish, and he didn't. And more people died for that. And then he promised to give the living a hint that he was my killer, and he didn't.
[She snorts.] I could forgive him for killing me. But not for everything else. He got wrecked the worst by the Hunter too. [Limbs. Limbs everywhere.]
[On one of the days leading up to the season change, Pokey will wake up and find a package outside of his front door. It's simply labelled "Pokey", but what's important is what's inside.
There is a pair of mittens, a knit hat, and a scarf. All of them are plain, and dyed in soft, natural colors. The attached note reads:]
II hope you liike 2now comiing up to your knee2. -Xanthou2
[He's kind of stunned. Pokey didn't expect to receive something like this out of the blue, let alone from the guy who wrote in yellow. Or to even get the guy's name like this finally.
Xanthous.
Wow, Pokey feels stupid. He knows he's seen Izzy mention that name before, and he only just now really connected which of the other trolls that would have to be. He'll just leave that out for now.]
Been a while since I've had to worry about it. Thanks for the heads up. And for the preparation for it.
[Pokey will find a drawing from Eliza in his mailbox, left on Christmas Eve. It's a drawing of him with his spider limbs, dangling upside down from a ceiling of some sort. She's drawn him in the style of a gem from a certain manga, the most obvious being that his hair in the drawing is shaded more like his barite gem. He's also holding a sprig of mistletoe with one of his spider limbs. The picture is signed and has "Merry Christmas!" written on it.]
[On this day, Pokey will get a small red box with a white ribbon, telltale sign that this was the magic cupcake he signed up for. Inside is a vanilla chocolate cupcake shaped like a bear sticking in the back. The note reads:]
To Pokey,
Happy April Fool's Day!
This cupcake was made specially in celebration of a fun day! And with that comes special rules, especially with this being your first animal spellcake:
1. Before consuming this cupcake you must be in a comfortable spot, one you're familiar with.
2. You might experience something called instinct overload, as your new animal instincts and senses will take a few moments to adjust. Since you have a predator animal, you might experience some instincts to hunt prey or chase off any people invading your territory. Take a moment to ease those thoughts and center yourself.
3. You will experience no discomfort in your transformation though I suggest accommodating your clothes for the extra fur and possibly a tail. It's no joke.
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